Tom Brady has watched his Patriots fight their way to a 5-3 record through the first half of the season, and in actuality, he's pretty darn happy with where he currently stands.
While everyone focuses on the marquee players that will be drafted on day one this Saturday, the key to building a winning team is by acquiring 5-7 impact makers. It was Marques Colston last year, who will it be this year?
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By Jeff Risdon
It is always difficult to come up with the best way to attack a list like this. Should it reflect value to the team and impact on the game? Or is it based on who I would pick to build a team around going forward? Do you base it more on tangible statistics or give more weight to that which does not show up in the box score?
I decided to do my own little hybrid based upon how I evaluate college players for the draft. I factor overall grade but give extra weight to players that are clearly well advanced from their positional peers, and also more weight to what are generally perceived as the more important positions (QB, CB, DE/OLB, OT). This is a reflection on the present, not worrying about age or growth potential going forward; that list would be decidedly different.
Why 103? Because that is my standard college draft format and it keeps the copycats at bay.
1. Tom Brady, QB, Patriots. Better than Manning in the regular season, but his playoff drought is becoming disturbing for his talent level. The TD/INT ratio is unbelievably superlative.
2. Peyton Manning, QB, Colts. Still the master, even though the chinks in the armor are starting to show a little more--in no small part because the OL has regressed. People forget about his amazing downfield accuracy and arm strength. The neck injury concerns me quite a bit.
3. DeMarcus Ware, LB, Cowboys. A consistent terror to QBs that beats blocks will all sorts of moves and styles, and his run defense has continued to improve.
4. James Harrison, LB, Steelers. He might be "dirty", but no defensive player scares offensive players more, and he uses that to his great advantage.
5. Darelle Revis, CB, NY Jets. The best shutdown corner of this era, and he allows Rex Ryan to get real creative with his defense around Revis Island.
6. Patrick Willis, LB, 49ers. Gets lost by playing on a lousy team in the NFC West wasteland. If he played in the NFC East, he would be beatified for his ability to do just about everything better than just about everyone else.
7. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers. Quite an amazing two seasons he has had, culminated with a Super Bowl win. The next great one.
8. Haloti Ngata, DT, Baltimore. Dominant force that makes everyone around him better.
9. Troy Polamalu, S, Steelers. Injuries are an issue, but no defensive player has a greater impact on the game than when he is playing at or above 90% health. There are several Steeler defenders on this list, but he is the one irreplaceable guy
10. Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota. Freakishly gifted talent that has thrived in all sorts of situations.
11. Joe Thomas, T, Cleveland
12. Philip Rivers, QB, San Diego
13. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers
14. Clay Matthews, LB, Green Bay
15. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona
16. Nick Mangold, C, NY Jets. Spotlight: Mangold is the cream of a very impressive young center crop, the most well-rounded and the most difficult to play against.
17. Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee
18. Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans
19. Calvin Johnson, WR, Lions
20. Ed Reed, S, Baltimore
21. Andre Johnson, WR, Texans. Spotlight: Since moving to Houston I have come to appreciate more fully his awesomeness, but a double-digit TD season remains an albatross.
22. Nnamdi Asomugha, CB, Philadelphia
23. Tamba Hali, LB, Kansas City
24. Vince Wilfork, DT, New England
25. Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jacksonville. Spotlight: Tends to get overlooked when talking about great running backs, but he does more with less than anyone else.
26. Justin Tuck, DL, NY Giants
27. Julius Peppers, DE, Chicago
28. Roddy White, WR, Atlanta
29. Jahri Evans, G, New Orleans
30. Kevin Williams, DT, Minnesota. Spotlight: Very active widebody can crash the pocket and stuff the run. A real handful even for double teams.
31. Lamarr Woodley, LB, Pittsburgh
32. Jake Long, T, Miami
33. Jared Allen, DE, Minnesota
34. Lance Briggs, LB, Chicago. Spotlight: He has been more consistently better than the more heralded Urlacher for years now.
35. Chris Long, DE, St. Louis
36. Charles Woodson, CB, Green Bay
37. Antonio Gates, TE, San Diego
38. Shane Lechler, P, Oakland. Spotlight: A punter?!? Not an obvious choice, but Lechler is the best punter in the history of the NFL and that deserves respect.
39. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Detroit
40. Trent Cole, DE, Philadelphia
41. Brandon Marshall, WR, Miami
42. Desean Jackson, WR/RS, Philadelphia
43. Justin Smith, DE, San Francisco
44. Tramon Williams, CB, Green Bay
45. Darnell Dockett, DE, Arizona. Spotlight: Makes big plays in bunches, but those bunches were less frequent in 2010.
46. Jason Witten, TE, Dallas
47. Michael Turner, RB, Atlanta
48. Greg Jennings, WR, Green Bay
49. Kyle Williams, DT, Buffalo
50. Santonio Holmes, WR, NY Jets. Spotlight: Not the most physical or fastest, but nobody plays better at crunch time in big games.
51. Terrell Suggs, DE, Baltimore
52. Dallas Clark, TE, Indianapolis. Spotlight: How great is Clark? The QB rating of Manning fell almost 20 points without him last year.
53. Carl Nicks, G, New Orleans
54. Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City
55. BJ Raji, DT, Green Bay
56. Richard Seymour, DT, Oakland
57. Vernon Davis, TE, San Francisco. Spotlight: Has matured into a reliable all-around weapon after years of struggling to "get it".
58. Josh Cribbs, WR/ST, Cleveland
59. Frank Gore, RB, San Francisco
60. Dwight Freeney, DE, Indianapolis. Spotlight: Still gets to the QB as well as just about anyone, but is not as dominant as he once was.
61. Arian Foster, RB, Houston
62. Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta
63. Ryan Kalil, C, Carolina
64. Jerod Mayo, LB, New England
65. Charles Johnson, DE, Carolina
66. Ryan Clady, T, Denver
67. Antoine Winfield, CB, Minnesota. Spotlight: Arguably the best run support corner of his generation, and no slouch in coverage either.
68. Andrew Whitworth, T, Cincinnati
69. Jay Ratliff, NT, Dallas
70. Mario Williams, DE/OLB, Houston. Spotlight: the move to OLB is either going to vault him up this list or push him way off.
71. Devin McCourty, CB, New England
72. Vincent Jackson, WR, San Diego
73. London Fletcher, LB, Washington. Spotlight: Still getting it done thanks to amazing instincts and relentless hustle.
74. Dwayne Bowe, WR, Kansas City
75. Terrell Thomas, CB, NY Giants
76. Maurkice Pouncey, C, Pittsburgh
77. Josh Freeman, QB, Tampa Bay. Spotlight: Could be 70 spots higher on this list in a couple of years if he continues to progress.
78. DBrickashaw Ferguson, T, NY Jets
79. Hakeem Nicks, WR, NY Giants
80. Brian Orakpo, OLB, Washington
81. Logan Mankins, G, New England. Spotlight: Finally got his mega contract, must continue to earn it.
82. Osi Umenyiora, DE, NY Giants
83. Ray Rice, RB, Baltimore
84. Cameron Wake, OLB, Miami
85. Donte Whitner, S, San Francisco
86. Lawrence Timmons, LB, Pittsburgh
87. Jordan Gross, T, Carolina. Spotlight: The best tackle you never hear about, does his best work in space.
88. Brian Urlacher, LB, Chicago
89. Reggie Wayne, WR, Indianapolis
90. Jon Beason, LB, Carolina
91. Alex Mack, C, Cleveland
92. Percy Harvin, WR/KR, Minnesota
93. Elvis Dumervil, DE, Denver
94. Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore. Spotlight: Has the best rifle arm in the league, but must play better when the games really mean something.
95. Aubrayo Franklin, DT, New Orleans
96. O.J. Atogwe, S, Washington
97. Curtis Lofton, LB, Atlanta
98. John Abraham, DE, Atlanta
99. Johnathan Joseph, CB, Houston. Spotlight: Golden opportunity to prove himself with the Texans.
100. Eric Berry, S, Kansas City
101. Eric Winston, T, Houston
102. Paul Posluszny, LB, Jacksonville
103. Josh Sitton, G, Green Bay. Spotlight: Really improved with consistency in 2010 and should continue to build on that
